Dark Hearts

Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

   I was so close to being back with Erik, his arms holding me and telling me everything is going to be fine. I sped up when I turned onto his road. I’ll deal with Kent later I just need Erik to comfort me. He better not have done anything stupid either. Erik will be Erik though.

       He was staring out the kitchen window with a stake, crazed. What the hell is he doing holding a stake? I saw him drop the stake to run out the door as I pulled offside the road.

       “Melinda!” He opened my door and picked me up in his arms. “How’d you get out? Are you hurt? What happened while you were there?”

       “Calm down, I’m fine, see? Nothing happened, nothing important anyway.”

       “Are you sure? Oh I’m just so glad you’re not hurt!” He put me back down on the ground. Joy was all over his face in his beautiful smile.

       “Where’s Richard at?” I asked with curiosity.

       “Uhm—about that. . . he’s going to get people ready to fight Kent tonight. I was going to fight him to get you out.”

       “Erik! Call him; tell Richard I’m not hurt!” Of course he’s allowed to do something reckless but not me, that’s a sin! “How come I’m not allowed to do anything stupid but you are? That isn’t one bit fair!”

       “I’m not calling him; I have a note to give him before we all attack. But this is going to happen tonight. We’ve waited long enough to bring the cocky bastard down,” he said full of self-pride.

       “This is NOT funny!” I shouted at him, wishing he’d start thinking straight. He just grinned, grinned, he grinned! Okay, he is going insane; he needs to be calmed down. “Think about this Erik,” I brushed my hand against his cheek, “no one’s ready for this attack. Many people will get hurt or even killed tonight, including yourself and Richard; please call him.” Everything seemed to finally calm down. Erik relaxed his arms looking in my eyes. His lips touched mine gently.

       “Melinda, this needs to be done by tonight. Kent must die for us to rule and be royalty. We can get rid of his father’s rules. Imagine it just being you and I in a huge mansion.” I tried imagining it, me wearing beautiful clothes, Erik being King alongside with me. Another image came, Carly, Sophia, and Nick dying in battle against Kent’s army.

       “We can’t do this tonight—maybe not ever,” I pleaded with him. “How big is your army even?”

       “Big enough don’t worry yourself about that. It’s not important like your safety is.” Erik’s hands pulled me in close. “Stay here, please? I won’t live without you.”

       “My friends—“

       “Will be fine. Melinda you underestimate a new vampire’s strength. Remember how it wasn’t that hard to kill that vampire hunter?”

       “I’m an idiot, really I am.” Tears I was trying to hold back came out. “Just go!” I screamed directly at him.

       “Do you mean that? You want me to go?” His face twisted in agony. “If you meant it I can go right now.”

       “Don’t go, I didn’t mean what I said, please stay?”

       “I’ll stay with you tonight for as long as I can,” he said tenderly. “I need to call someone up though quickly.”

       “Why?”

       “Someone needs to be protecting you when I go. Don’t argue with me on this.”

       “Just don’t get yourself hurt. Promise me that if you’re gonna go.”

       He kissed my cheek, “I promise I won’t get myself killed. Everything’ll turn out great at the end of the day, you’ll see.”

       “I sure hope so.” Erik got his phone out.

       “Hey Kennedy, can you do something for me?” He asked and paused. “I want somebody here protecting Melinda. I’m sure you’ve heard by now how important she is to me. . . alright thanks.” The phone call ended. “He will be here in about thirty minutes. I’m gonna wait here until he comes so you won’t be alone.”

       “I love you Erik, be careful out there. Tell my friends I said to be safe, too.” More tears started going down my cheeks. His hands brushed the tears off.

       “I love you too, and I will be more than careful. Kiss me goodbye.” I kissed him thinking that this very well could be our last kiss. I made sure it lasted a while, putting my arms on his back and moving my hands swiftly to his chest. Somebody knocked on the door, must be Kennedy. A tall man with dark hair came in.

       “May I interrupt?”

       “Sorry—uhm Kennedy this is Melinda, Melinda this is Kennedy.”

       “Nice to meet you Melinda.”

       “It’s nice to meet you, too,” I replied nervously.

       “No running off we’re going to stay inside tonight, got it?”

       “I got it Kennedy.” I felt like I should’ve called him sir. He seemed a lot older than me even though his looks made him frozen at about probably eighteen.

       “Just listen to what he says, for me? I love you sweetie.” I kiss him one last time.

       “All right, I love you too.”

       And just like that he left out the door. I close my eyes to secretly pray to God that he’ll keep him safe. He may ignore my prayer, but I don’t blame him if he does. This night better turn out well like he said.

       “Well, what do you want do Melinda? We can play a board game or something. I don’t exactly know you that well. So what sounds fun?”

       “I want to just watch television, something distracting. I’m afraid he won’t be coming back—what if he doesn’t?”

       “Don’t worry he will come back. If I know my friend he’ll try his damn hardest to get back with you.”

       Kennedy sat there with me watching dumb reality TV shows. Luckily it helps me forget what’s really going on for the most part. Erik’s coming back, I keep reminding myself. A few hours pass quietly without us saying a word. Kent hasn’t been in my mind this whole night either. I feel quite peaceful about that until I think about why he might have no time to mess with me. He might be killing all of Erik’s army.

       “What are you thinking about?”

       “Oh—uhm nothing. Just thinking about how awful these shows are. Let’s change it to a cartoon or something.”

       “All right. You sure everything’s good?”

       “Yes, I’m fine, completely fine.”

       “Okay then. We can watch Spongebob.”

       “I haven’t watched Spongebob for a while.”

       “Spongebob it is then.”

       This is mindless enough. Spongebob was a good way to finish my night. Erik should be home any minute. Somebody started pounding on the door, Kennedy got up, and I sat there praying it was Erik. He wouldn’t pound on the door like that though.

       There must’ve been at least ten vampire hunters charging in the door. I stood there frozen in fear, while Kennedy was trying to fight them off. A hunter came closer to me. We both struggle, I try taking his stake, he chases after me when I run away. There’s a stabbing sensation from my back. The last things I see before I fall are Kennedy being staked and Erik busting in.

       Where I am now is unusually bright, blinding white light. Closing my eyes doesn’t help at all. Why is the light so bright?